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The Winter's Tale By William Shakespeare

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In the play The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare, exists two different types of characters: dynamic characters, meaning characters who change throughout the play by learning and growing through their experiences, and static characters, meaning characters that stagnate from the beginning to end. In particular, the most dynamic character in the play is King Leontes of Sicilia. In the beginning, Leontes believes in the self-assumed belief that his wife, Queen Hermione, is having affairs with his childhood friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia. This belief was conspired by Leontes when he requested Hermione to convince Polixenes to prolong his visit in Sicilia after he himself had failed. When she did succeed, Leontes became “diseased” with jealousy and came to the assumption that Hermione and Polixenes have a “special” relationship together. With the authorial power he possesses as king, he sentenced his pregnant wife to prison for adultery. Though Hermione persists that he is wrong and there is a misunderstanding, Leontes, however, denies everything she says. In this, Leontes is seen as a stubborn tyrant who abuses his divine power as king to treat his wife as a lower being. He denies her right to speak and punishes her severely. Leontes says: You, my lords, Look on her, mark her well; be but about To say 'she is a goodly lady, ' and The justice of your hearts will thereto add 'Tis pity she 's not honest, honourable: ' Praise her but for this her without-door form,

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